KARACHI, June 26: Representatives of a cross-section of people have expressed their shock and grief over the sudden death of former federal minister and chief of Qaumi Jamhoori Party Omar Asghar Khan in mysterious circumstances and demanded investigation by an independent judicial commission to find out the actual cause of his death.

In their separate statements condoling the death, they eulogised his services as a man of courage and integrity which manifested from his services in different capacities as a teacher, well-wisher of workers and bearer of the rights of the oppressed section of society. They also offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Muttahidda Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain expressing his profound shock and sadness asked the people at the helm of affairs whether the death of Omar was a suicide or a murder?

Recalling the contradictory reports about the cause of his death, he said the government had failed to unravel the real cause of his death after over 48 hours.

Altaf Hussain said that if the death had occurred as a result of murder then it deserved severest condemnation and the cause needed to be thoroughly investigated and the culprits exemplarily punished.

Former Haq Parast members of the National Assembly said that in view of the contradictory stands taken by the police and the bereaved family, its impartial investigation and making the report public had become essential.

They pointed out that two months back terrorists had killed former Haq Parast parliamentarians, Mustafa Kamal Rizvi and Dr Nishat Malick, and their killers were not only still at large but also their murder remained a mystery.

“If representatives of people are killed in such a manner and the murder is termed suicide and sectarian killing instead of exposing the actual motives and reasons, then how the killers could ever be nabbed,” they asked.

They urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf to take the stand of the bereaved family seriously and order investigation into the murder of Omar Asghar and made the report public.

National Trade Union Federation’s secretary-general Salim Raza said no one could think that a person like Omar Asghar Khan could commit suicide as no man of his intelligence with such a strong nerves could act so cowardly.

He said if it had happened, then those powerful and influential people were responsible for the tragedy who had misappropriated billions of rupees in the EOBI, because earlier an EOBI director was also forced to commit suicide and its chairman was still missing and now it appeared that the death of Omar Asghar has also a link with it as he had been a complainant in the EOBI case pertaining to the embezzlement of billions of rupees.

Pakistan National Federation of Trade Unions held a condolence meeting and expressed its grief on the untimely and sudden death of Omar Asghar.

Recalling his active association with the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), the organization condoled the death of Omar Asghar and termed it an irreparable national loss. It said the services of such a dedicated and selfless person are needed in Pakistan’s critical political and social environment.

Tehrik-i-Istiqlal Karachi chairperson Naheed Afzal Khan advocate expressed apprehension that Omar Asghar Khan was killed by unknown persons in a meticulous manner but the police had been terming it a suicide to cover up the facts.